From fundraising events involving entire facilities to individual efforts, employees throughout the Ergon family give generously of their time, talents and blessings to help their communities and people in need.
One great example is the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program, which Ergon’s Information Technology Department began supporting in 2017 and now is an annual fundraising event for the corporate office. According to Jana Branham, Ergon Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, “We love this charity because it meets needs of the community where we live and serve … and all the donations go directly to children in need.” When Ergon’s CEO asked for ideas for giving back to communities on an enterprise-wide level, Jana suggested Toys for Tots, and employees in the corporate office were quick to join in.
Each year, employees have an opportunity to purchase toys or provide monetary donations for a toy drive on behalf of the program. Ergon has matched employee donations annually. This year, Ergon was proud to present a check to Toys for Tots for $17,299.71, bringing the total contributions since 2020 to $49,182.58.
Not only do employees donate toys and money, but they really get in the Christmas spirit to encourage each other to participate. Groups of Ergon Elves volunteer to collect donations while others volunteer to shop for toys for children from newborn to age 12. Outside of corporate efforts, volunteers from various Ergon locations also support the Toys for Tots Program, like Juan Torres, who helps set up toy drives in Texas on behalf of the organization.
In addition to Toys for Tots, Ergon employees volunteer their time and resources to support a wide variety of causes, just a few of which are listed at the end of this story.
Ergon’s Refining & Marketing segment is living out company values through a variety of initiatives. Employees at Ergon – West Virginia in Newell, West Virginia, committed to increasing their number of work-sponsored community service hours from 180 to approximately 300 in 2023. Ergon Refining in Vicksburg, Mississippi, has already surpassed their 2023 goal of 1,000 hours, which comes to five hours per employee.
The R&M Mirror Lake Plaza team developed a Community Outreach Program which offers at least four community outreach events each quarter. Their goal for 2023 is 400 volunteer hours and $25,000 in charitable giving. Recently, the group spent time at the Boys & Girls Club of America in Jackson, Mississippi, where they hosted a career panel. Nine Ergon employees were able to share their respective career paths and encourage, inspire and pour into more than 30 teens and preteens.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is another important charity to members of the Ergon family — especially Larry Tomkins, Vice President – Southeast Region for Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (EAE). Larry has championed the Ergon family in raising $150,000 for ACS in the ongoing campaign for breast cancer research and patient support. EAE recently launched the Road to Recovery campaign, partnering with companies within the asphalt industry to ensure the provision of complimentary rides for cancer patients to get to their treatments.
As our CEO, Kris Patrick, mentioned in his recent message in Ergon’s Doing Right Report, “More dots on Ergon maps and more products in our portfolios are exciting, but I believe even more important is the positive impact we have on the lives of people around the world. May we never lose our focus on the fact that while we should strive to be profitable in our business, our higher calling is to impact the lives of employees, customers and communities we serve in a positive way.”
Happiest of Holidays from the Ergon Family!
Some of the causes supported by Ergon employees:
Adopt-A-Highway
Andre House
Baptist Children’s Village
Boys & Girls Clubs
Broadway Wharf Cleanup
Canopy Children’s Solutions
Chambers of Commerce
Chester and Newell, WV, Volunteer Fire Departments
Children’s Hospital of Mississippi
City of Chester Beautification Committee
Dempsey Centers for Quality Cancer Care
Extra Table
Feeding America
Gracious Givers of Arizona
Habitat for Humanity
House of Grace
Hurricane Disaster Relief Efforts
Idaho Coastal Conservation Association
International Ballet Competition
Jackson, Mississippi, Water Relief
La Vernia Community Food Bank
Mentoring College Students
Mississippi Blood Services
Mountaineer Food Bank
Rescue Mission of the Mahonig Valley
Salvation Army Family Store
Shower Power
Stewpot Community Services
Sunnybrook Children’s Home
Supporting Local First Responders
Teaching STEM Classes at Richland
Upper Elementary
The Brightside Project
The Lily Pad Foundation
The Little Light House, Central Mississippi
Title 1 School Volunteer Programs
Toys for Tots
Truckers Against Trafficking
Valley of the Sun United Way
Vicksburg Warren College and Career Academies
Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Foundation
Warren Central High School Life Skills Class
Youth Outdoors Unlimited
